The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-04-21
DECISIONS OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT.

DECISIONS OF THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT.
Query. II a Corps President in attendance Mt n
Department Convention Is found TO be entitled to n
seat n Department officer can the Senior Vice
President OF n Corps represent the Corps?
Answer. She cannot. II the President Of the
Corps Is in attendance at the Convention she can
not be considered absent in order that the Senior
Junior VicePresident may represent the Corps
And il must be further understood that of course
she can vote but once.
Query. Can n Corps or Department decide that n
candidate for Office receiving the largest number of
votes but not majority, be declared elected when
more than two candidates are in nomination?
Answer Most assuredly not. Ballotng must be
proceeded with till candidate shall have re-
ceived majority Of all the votes cast Any other
course might reasonably affect the legality of the
election.
Query. Is a floor member of the woman's Relief
Corps who has not passed the Office of President
entitled TO Department appointments?
Answer Most certainly. Any member OF the
Woman's Relief Corps in good standing is eligible
for any Office in the Organization from the Assist
ant Guard Of subordinate Corps to the National
President Of the entire order. OF course any office
elective appointive, should be filed by one who
is deemed best qualified for the position.
Query. Is a Secretary supposed 10 read the pro-
ceedings OF the Corps from her Journal or from
manuscript which Is To be corrected. if necessary,
and subsequently, copied into the journal?
Answer. The National President can say that
there only seems TO be a difference OF opinion rs to
what is required by Regulations, but no diver
sity ms TO what is the best plan TO pursue In this
respect we seem TO have copied one of the loose
pegs" found ia Grand Army Regulations aud we
have yet TO learn Of any competent Adjutant Of a
Post who reads his report from rough minutes and
copies them into his recordbook Mt his leisure.
There many obvious reasons why the report
Of the Secretary should be read direct from the
journal. Errors OF omission and commission can
readily be made by transcribing them afterwards.
of which the Corps would never become eognizant.
unless reference needed thereto
"Procraslinntion is the thief Of time" and many
an otherwise wellquali6ed Secretary often delays
copying her approved minutes into the journal till
the same have been mutilated often entirely de-
stroyed or mislAd.
Feeling satisfied that in ali the best-regulated
Posts of the Grand Army the exact letter of their
Regulations Is more honored in the breach than in
the observance, the Natiopal President feels to
recommend that all Corps Secretaries should read
their minutes direct from the journal, noting any
correction that may be made in the minutes of the
meeting at which those OF the previous meeting
were read. Such action will not only induce greater
accuracy the part Of the Secretary but will pre-
serve history Of such corrections which are part
ofthe proceedings Of any Corps meeting
Query. Should an ntermission be declared for
the collection of dues?
Answer. This matter naturally rests with the
Corps or its President. When the order of bust
ness In the Ritual is reached called collection of
| dues" the hes: pan would be TO declare n recess
for that purpose AS this follows the initiation of
candidates forming the acquaintance of new mem
beers and payment of dues ut the desk of the Treas
| urer can readily take place at the same time. The
regulations provide that the Treasurer shall col
iect all moneys due the Corps" and 1t certainly is